336 hours
by turtlewithalaptop
Summary: She's a loner,with two weeks to live and nobody to care when she died. He was oblivious;a well liked lacrosse player who wouldn't know Katniss if she properly introduced herself.When a class project forces them to spill one of their worst secrets, it is revealed that she has only 336 hours to live. Suddenly a man on a mission,Peeta plans to make these two weeks the best of her life
1. prologue

**Authors note: Hey people. I have decided to write a new everlark story, but I will still continue my other story. Keep in mind that this is an AU. This story was inspired by an idea by hopestrengthlove. **

**336 hours**

**Prologue:**

Katniss Everdeen was never really considered 'cool' or 'popular or 'pretty'. In fact, she was never really considered as anything really. She was the kind of person who sat in the back of the classroom with her nose in a book and didn't ever talk unless she was called on. She considered herself lucky in the fact that when she was to die, she wouldn't have anyone to say goodbye to.

Peeta Mellark could technically make friends with a brick wall. One could say that he had the 'whole package', charming looks, kind personality, and he was athletic. Starting in third grade, he was the star player on his lacrosse team, making him automatically the most popular guy in school. He had everything a guy could ever want, an 'entourage' of a sort, a red motorcycle, and a wide assortment of trophies. However, he what he truly wanted was to have a girlfriend. Sure, he has had a few on and off relationships with Delly Cartwright and Glimmer, but it was not, so called, 'real love', at least not the kind that would be featured on the cover of a magazine or made into a romantic comedy.

One could say that Mrs. Trinket was not the average Language Arts teacher, or even a normal teacher at all. Not that the other teachers were bad, because not all of them were, but most of the teachers could not care less about what they teach, never mind their students. Mr. Abernathy, for example, would occasionally leave in the middle of class to enhance his supply of booze and come stumbling back into the classroom an hour later.

When Mrs. Trinket walked into the classroom that Monday morning, it was no different than the rest. Katniss came in first, as usual, so that she can find her seat in the back and stealthily stick her bubble gum under the desk before the teacher could notice. Class started in only two minutes, not that it truly mattered to her. If she kept her phone hidden enough and her earbuds loud enough, she can tune out the whole class. Why would a dying girl care about flunking a class or two?

30 minutes and 20 levels of _Flappy Bird _later, Katniss saw the blonde boy that she recognized as Peeta sitting awkwardly on top of the desk in front of her. She yanked her headphones off and stared quizzically at him.

"Do the words partners and project ring a bell?" he teased. '_Oh great,'_ she thought, '_I get stuck with him.' _ Though almost everyone liked him, Katniss was not one of them. Maybe it was fact that his hair was perfectly slicked back without any gel unlike her matted mane, or that he had such strong, muscular arms that made hers look like twigs. Even though she didn't know it, or refused to believe it, the real reason she despised him was because he had something that she could not manage to get, real friends. After contemplating it for a second, she decided that maybe remaining silent would help him get the memo. It would certainly not be the first project that she didn't do.

"So, I assume we should meet after school, to work on the project, I mean?" he inquired. She shot him an incredulous glance. He was more persistent than the others.

"What? You're not getting by without helping. Plus, it won't hurt to at least try to make and make friends." As the bell rang, the blonde boy stood up and winked.

"7, at my place. Don't forget to bring your text book."

Out in the hallway stood the captain of the swim team, Finnick Odair with a dorky grin.

"So Peet, some luck you got stuck with the mute girl." Of course, Peeta chuckled, somewhat humorlessly. After a quick second, Finnick nudged him in the shoulder.

"You like her don't you, Peet?" Peeta rolled his eyes.

"You're going delirious, Odair," he retorted, "I think that the sea water has been getting to your brain."

He strutted out of the school with his Nike drawstring bag dangling from his shoulder, suddenly confident that he would make that Everdeen girl come out of her shell, but little did he know that his time was running out.

**Authors Note: What do you guys think so far? I know it is short, but I will update soon. Please review.**

**-fandomstuck**


	2. 334 hours left

**Authors Note: I hope you are liking this story so far. Thank you to everyone who have reviewed. One reviewer who commented said that Katniss should not die. Though I love that you are telling me your opinion (which is awesome by the way) I cannot keep Katniss alive, but I will still include everlark fluff!**

**Chapter 1**

**334 hours left**

Katniss stood in front of her somewhat miniature closet with her finger tracing the outline of her chin. Two hours ago, she had never talked to Peeta Mellark, but here she is, spending countless minutes deciding what to wear. She only owns a single dress, a knee-length, forest green one with an orange necklace that dropped to her collarbone. It was only worn on special occasions and she assumed that working on a school assignment was not a good enough reason. So that left two options, jeans or sweatpants. Finally deciding on a pair of boot cut jeans and a Nirvana t-shirt, she walked down the stairs, left a microwavable pizza on the table for Prim, and sulked towards the door.

Peeta finally finished combing his hair when a harsh knock pounded on the door, only ten minutes early. Without hesitation, the stubborn girl barged through the door, slamming the textbook on the table.

"Where do we start?" Dang! She gets right to the point, no dilly-dallying.

"Already?" he teased, "I assumed we would at least have a little conversation, maybe grab a bite to eat." Katniss did not suppress a snort when she heard those words. This guy is too clingy. Not surprisingly, she returned to her method of silence.

Frustrated, he flipped open his binder and pulled out the rubric. "Okay, we need to choose an essay topic. It seems as if Mrs. Trinket has run out of ideas."

Katniss sighs, "So we just chose anything?"

"Well I guess we should chose something that we are both passionate about." It took her a second to realize he wasn't kidding. She scoffed.

"I'm not the passionate type."

"Sure you are. We just need to get to know each other better." As it turns out, a dying, pessimistic girl and an over peppy jock do not make easy conversation, but Peeta, being as persistent as he is, would not stop. Seriously, he would not shut up.

"Oh, come on Katniss," he would groan, "Can you at least tell me your favorite color.

"Well, why should I even waste my time on something so useless?"

"Okay Mrs. IdonthaveapersonalitynordoIknowanythingaboutmyself, tell me your darkest secret." Now, the conversation was going somewhere. She looked up in surprise. If only he knew.

"Okay," she compromised, "I will tell you my _darkest secret, _but you have to tell me ALL about you. Every. Single. Detail." This will be interesting. Maybe there is more to this kid than meets the eye.

He cleared his throat, "Um, I guess you know that I play lacrosse. My parents used to own a bakery and I baked the cakes, and bread of course. Two years ago there was a fire in the bakery." His face slightly dropped. "Well the, um, fire took my two brothers and father, and my leg too. My mother's alive, she's just never around. I haven't really baked since, which is why I'm always at lacrosse practice."

Katniss's mouth fell open slightly, almost startled at the sudden change in mood. Only now did she realize the prosthetic leg that peered out from under his pant leg. It was as if his whole resolve crumbled and the mask we wore at school fell, revealing the boy that he truly was.

'Enough of that," he smiled sadly. "Now, what's your big secret?" She almost felt bad that she had to tell him about her upcoming death. He's already lost enough already. She took a slow, deep breath and prepared to speak.

"If you really want to know…" Katniss paused to see if he was truly interested. Peeta nodded as a sign for her to continue. The words flew out of her mouth at such a rushing, frantic pace, she was surprised he even heard it at all.

"I'm dying, in two weeks exactly, from some disease with many letters that I didn't bother to learn how to pronounce. The 336 hours are running out rather quickly."

Time seemed to pause. Peeta's face became stone hard in concentration, but eventually softened. Both of them looked at their feet until suddenly, he closed the textbooks, his eyes filled with determination. When Katniss looked up at him quizzically, he simply shrugged.

"What, there are so many better things that you could be doing right now. Do grades really matter right now?" She smirked at him slightly, since he practically read her mind.

"Okay," she contemplated, "then what kind of things should I be doing?" He considered a few things for a second. It's not like he had any experience being a dying girl. Then an idea hit him. He did this awkward little bounce before rushing into a supply closet and grabbing a few ballpoint pens along with some notebook paper. Eager to start on his new idea, he swiftly made his way back to the dining room table where the frail teen sat. He opened the notebook and took the cap off of the pen.

"So, what have you always wanted to do, anything." She raised her eyebrows at him. She's never actually thought about it before. I mean, maybe she's wanted to learn how to ride a horse or ride a hot air balloon, but those are not really bucket-list worthy items. Heck, they're not even practical.

"I want to win something. Maybe have a trophy or two." The words honestly surprised her. Now thinking about it, she did really want the satisfaction of holding an award in her hand, being recognized by her peers. Oh, how she craved the idea of being noticed for once.

Peeta nodded and jotted it down on the blank paper, feeling somewhat guilty that he had so many of what she wanted.

"Okay… what else?"

She scoffed. "Mellark, I have two weeks not two years."

"We will make the list, then from top to bottom, we will do everything on the list."

She assumed that there was no way to get out of this, not that she's complaining.

"What else?" he asked for the 100th time.

"Ugh! I don't know!"

They both chuckled in unison. This will be a long night.

**Authors Note: I know its short, but I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought and either review or private message me some ideas for what all should be on Katniss's list. I have some ideas, but I want your opinions. **

**-fandomstuck**


	3. 332 hours left

**Authors Note: I'm back! I have had so many nice reviews that have truly made my day. Also, some of you have given me some suggestions for this chapter which is awesome and really helps me with writers block. One of the things suggested, I could not really do because of copyright purposes, but I will do something very close to it. Enjoy**

**Chapter 2:**

**332 hours left**

Katniss grinned at the finished list that she and Peeta have been working on for the past two hours.

Win a trophy

Get revenge

Pass a driving test

Go to prom

Try on wedding dresses

The last one surprised both of them the most. She just thought that putting on that long, white gown is an iconic part of one's life. Yes, the whole thing seems very girly and cliché for someone like Katniss, but can you blame her? In only 332 hours, she will be gone, so why not get a little attention along the way.

"Let's go," Peeta winked and waited at the mahogany door.

"What, now?" It shouldn't be very surprising that Peeta is already eager to start, but it's just a little… abnormal.

"In case you haven't noticed, time is sort of running out." That comment probably could have sounded brutal and insensitive if it wasn't for the smile and playful nudge that followed. She honestly doesn't think that he was the ability to be mean.

If Katniss's situation was different, she would not be following around a somewhat stranger at 9:00 at night and she especially would not be getting into his car. She sat shotgun with the seatbelt hovering closer to her neck than to her shoulder.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"We're completing the first item on your list."

"You didn't answer my question."

"You're going to the school gymnasium." She gaped at him.

"Right now, at night?!" Katniss exclaimed. What on earth was he thinking? If Principal Snow caught them, the rest of her life would be miserable.

"Relax. Some of the lacrosse players and I usually meet up here every night, at an earlier time of course."

"How do you even get in?" His outstretched hand pointed at a small door at the back of the school.

"That one door doesn't have a key hole, only a padlock. Lucky for us, I happen to have the code." She did not even bother asking how he managed to get a code to break into the school with.

"Oh, so you're kind of like a bad boy," she teased.

He smirked, "Sure, something like that." They creeped out of the car and made their way to the locked door. She gasped, never being one for adventure, and opened the door leading directly to the gym. All of the lights were off and there was equipment lying in various places. Suddenly, the lights flickered on and Peeta tossed her a football.

"Let's see what you got,"

"Do you really think that there are any women's football leagues around here? Besides, I'm not sure that I can learn all about a sport in two weeks." Peeta pondered about it for a little while.

"Is there anything that you're at least decent at?" Honestly, she never really thought about it.

"I guess I'm sort of good at archery, you know, bow and arrows," Katniss considered. He nodded and dug through the closet, not really expecting to find that kind of thing there. Much to his dismay, he found a single wooden bow and a dull arrow to go along with it. He balanced a foam ball on the windowpane and handed her the weapon.

"Now try," he commanded. She took a slow breath and drew back the string. Since her father passed away a few years ago, archery hasn't really been on her mind. Closing her eyes and feeling a slight breeze that the window provided, she released. The arrow rocketed past her and landed in the center of the foam. Peeta's eyes widened.

"Well, I'm assuming that lessons won't be needed," he grinned, still astonished.

"So how do I win a trophy using this sport?"

"Even though I am not an archer, I'm pretty sure that you don't win anything from it."

Katniss huffed. Of course the one thing that she was good at was something that she couldn't gain an award from. Peeta sighed and sat next to her on the too-small bench. Come on, let's go. Meet me at my house at 8 in the morning. She plastered a fake smile onto her face to hide her disappointment.

At 7:45, Katniss found herself leaning against her car in front of Peeta's house while wearing tattered blue jeans an oversized Coca-Cola shirt. She trudged over to the front door and knocked, regretting the fact that she didn't have a cup of coffee before coming. He opened the door and whispered, "Follow me."

The two of them raced towards his back door, and she gulped in shock when she spotted the sight outside. Around twenty people from her school were lined up on the curb, all armed the bows and arrows.

"I don't know these people!" she whispered aggressively.

"Relax, they're friends of mine. Now let's go the competition's about to start."

"Competition?" She gasped, with an incredulous look etched on her face. Nonetheless, she still followed him to an empty spot in his backyard with a cardboard target several feet in front of her. Other competitors were lined up on spots similar to hers. She smiled at Peeta.

"I still don't know what's going on."

"A few friends wanted to have a little friendly archery competition."

Katniss could not help but giggle. Strange. "Did you…."

"I did."

Everyone began to shoot at their targets, none of them focused, except for Katniss and a blonde preppy girl named Glimmer. It's actually surprising that the dumb, blonde chick could actually do anything athletic. The 'game' ended and scores were tallied up. Not surprisingly, the grey eyed huntress won.

The people began to group together, having conversations about last night's football game and fan theories of "Pretty Little Liars", leaving Katniss alone, again. With a sigh, Peeta walked over and sat next to her on a bench.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, um, I'm fine, I guess." She wasn't fine. Anyone with eyes could see that. Everyone else seemed to have something to talk about, a story to tell, and she was just Katniss. She hated it.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Peeta grinned. He reached a hand behind his back and pulled out a miniature, plastic trophy that still had a Walmart tag on it. She put her stubbornness aside and engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much. For everything." She whispered, tears threatening to fall. Little did she know that water was boiling violently up in his eyes too.

"Would we be considered friends yet?" His voice somewhat steadily asked.

"I thought we already were," she agreed, their warm embrace still not ending.

**Authors Note: Omg that was so fluffy I literally almost cried. Please give me ideas for later chapters to help with writers block and let me know your honest opinion. Have a nice week!**

**-fandomstuck**


	4. 319 hours left

**Authors note: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I hope you like this chapter.**

**Chapter 3**

**319 hours left**

Katniss sighed a she looked in the mirror that morning. Her fingers traced along a deep purple bruise on her shoulder and a faint one nearing her ear. This illness is taking a toll on her frail, porcelain-like skin. No amount of her mother's makeup could even begin to cover them. She pulled a deep green crop-top over her head and trudged out the door for a doctor's appointment.

Peeta laid in his bed, eyes wide open as they had been all night, a notebook in hand. Even though he was quite athletic, he spend almost all of his time sketching. Sketching his deceased family, sketching Katniss. He just thinks that he's so pathetic, not being able to do anything but draw and play lacrosse. Anything else gives him too much time to think. For heaven's sake, he can't even glance at an oven without thinking about his past and letting cascades of tears flow. More than anything, he hated the fake him that is shown at school, and well, pretty much everywhere. Soon, the last truly good thing in his life would be gone, Katniss. He sighed. Despite the warm summer weather, he slipped on a blue, long sleeved shirt and walked out the door.

There is nothing worse than doctor's appointments, at least not in Katniss's mind. It's almost degrading, people walking around, eyeing her with pity. To her, leaving that place is like stepping out of prison. She learned only a little bit about her condition. More and more bruises will begin covering her whole body and she will lose her ability to do everything, not that she ever did much in the first place. The only thing that she finds slightly upsetting is that eventually, she will have to depend on Prim and possibly Peeta in order for her to complete every day functions. Oh, and then there's the whole dying thing.

She doesn't know why this keeps happening, her suddenly sinking into a depressive state almost daily. Abruptly, she felt a thud on her side and she fell, spilling a half of a hot cup of Starbucks coffee on her side.

"Geez. I'm so sorry…." began the stranger who caused her embarrassing fall. "Oh, it's just you."

She glanced up, still slightly annoyed by the coffee stains, and saw the blonde lacrosse player standing over her.

"Yeah, just me," she murmured.

"Uh, I didn't mean it like that. I just…" he trailed off, causing her to faintly giggle.

"Its fine," she grinned. Katniss then felt his gaze shift to her bruises, but she just shrugged it off, avoiding his eye contact at all costs.

"Are you ready to complete item #2 on the list?" he inquired, having nothing better to do that day.

"Which was…."

"Getting revenge, but on who exactly?"

She became puzzled, not knowing anyone specifically on who she would want vengeance. Suddenly, an outrageous idea came to mind.

"Principal Snow," she randomly decided. Of course, Peeta wasn't too keen on the idea.

"Are you crazy? He will make the rest of our lives miserable," he paused, regretting his choice of words. Peeta waited, then sighed, "Well, I guess we can always just vandalize his office and call it a senior prank."

Katniss smirked, "When do we start?" In a way, the question was rhetorical. They both wordlessly walked over to Peeta's house and he fiddled with the key. A thought randomly appeared in her mind.

"Peeta, do you live alone?" she whispered, just audible enough to reach his ears. His whole body froze and his muscles tensed.

Hollowly, he sighed, "After the, um, incident, my mom just kind of left. She moved in with my aunt, wanting to avoid me at all costs because I reminded her of _them. _Every once and a while, she'll appear at the door and come in for an hour or two. Other than that, she has nothing to do with me."

Katniss bit her lip to hide her glance of sympathy. He just looks so helpless, an empty glare in his eyes, his hands quivering. If only she knew the whole story. If only she knew that his mother blamed him for the deadly fire, that he blamed himself for his deceased family. Katniss's hand reached up to his shoulder for comfort, but he shook if off with a sad smile. He opened the door.

The two made it over to a picnic bench in his kitchen, both slowly recovering from the painful exchange.

"So," Peeta started, "Principal usually leaves his office unlocked. Don't ask how I know. All we have to do is get pass the janitors and…"

That's when it happened.

Katniss fell from her chair to the ground, screaming from the excruciating pain that came coursing through her like an open flame. Her hands trembled, her senses weary. All she could feel was the agony.

Peeta was frantic, his eyes wild, calling for help from someone, anyone. He scooped her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a bag of grain. Barefooted, he ran out into the streets, rushing with a yelling Katniss in his arms. Once they entered the hospital, the doctors swarmed around, making phone calls and checking her weak heartbeat. This event, horrifying for the both of them, was just a side-effect, meaning nothing in the long-run. For two days, she would be submitted to a wheel chair to recover. Two days that could be wasted.

They left the hospital the day after, Katniss hating that Peeta had to wheel her around. Once, again they found themselves outside the school building.

"Now?" Katniss questioned, obviously puzzled.

"Why not?" So they did. Katniss was giggling the whole way, strange. Throughout the hallways were janitors, but they only gave sympathetic glares. They must know.

Peeta was correct. Not only were the principal's office's doors unlocked, but they were left ajar. How stupid must he be? It was almost as if he expected it.

Two hours passed, two hours filled with confetti, paint cans, silly string, and popcorn. Whilst grinning, Katniss jokingly muttered, "A five year old could prank better than this!" Peeta noticed the hint of humor in her tone and chuckled along.

"I figured that much. Eh, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Oh, um, I almost forgot," remembered Peeta, an enthusiastic look filling his cornflower blue eyes. Out of the pocket of his blue jeans, he pulled out a silver necklace, with a small charm with a figure Katniss could not recognize. His jittery hands placed the jewelry around her neck slowly, as if she was a glass sculpture, so close to shattering. A smile began crawling up her blushing cheeks, a single tear lingering in her eyes.

"It's a dandelion," he whispered as he knelt down to her level, "A sign of hope, that all things can get better, that you will get better." She shook her head as if what he said was absolute nonsense. Well, in a way, it was.

"Peeta, I'm so thankful, I really am, but you know that I'm not going to make it."

Tears were threatening to spill out of both of their eyes. Peeta sighed painfully "Yeah I know, I-I just don't want to believe it. Please don't give up. Please don't lose hope." He was on the verge of begging, fighting to keep the tears from falling. Their faces became close together, awkwardly close, but neither moved away. Then, Katniss did the unthinkable, she kissed him.

It was only for a split second, then she backed away and forced a giggle.

"Just a kiss of friendship. It meant nothing," she whispered. If anything, she was trying to reassure herself. Peeta tried in vain to hide the dejected look appearing on his face.

'Y-yeah, just friendship, right." She smiled sweetly, and embraced him while he kept thinking an incredulous thought. He loves Katniss Everdeen.

**Authors Note: I don't know why it took me so long to write that. In my opinion, it was a crappy chapter *sighs*. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed being able to discover more about Peeta's life. Do you want to see more of that? Pretty please review with a completely honest opinion so that I can improve my writing and let me know what you want to see more or less of.**

**-fandomstuck**


	5. 268 hours left

**Authors Note: Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for the positive reviews. They really make my day. I will be sure to add more about Peeta's past since the reviewers seemed to like it. Sorry for not updating sooner. This chapter will be quite interesting, so get ready for some angst (and a little fluff). **

**Chapter 4**

**268 hours left**

Peeta fumbled with his keys, still shaken by the apparently insignificant kiss. Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of Katniss who was looking stunning, though she was wearing her father's oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. In his mind, he kept replaying the image of her lips gently being placed onto his. He had kissed girls before, many times, but none of their lips tasted as sweet or had the same soft texture as hers did. Why must it be so hard for him to only be her friend?

Once inside, Katniss wheeled herself over to his leather sofa, undoing her braid. A random thought appeared in her mind.

"Peeta, why do you think that Principal Snow left his door open?" He shrugged and bit his lip.

"I don't know. He's just forgetful I guess." Another hushed moment passed, when Katniss's eyes filled with doubt and slightly controlled rage.

"Was he expecting us to come? Did you tell him?" she exclaimed. His silence was enough of an answer. She slammed her fist against the arm rests of her wheelchair, causing him to jump.

"What, do you think that I'm some sort of freaking charity cause? I don't want people changing their ways of life for me. I don't want attention. I DON'T NEED HELP!" He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, hostility building up inside of him.

"Katniss, you need to accept the fact that things are changing. You'll need assistance, you'll need help, and you're dying for goodness sakes! Is having some fun and getting some attention the worst thing that could happen?" he nearly shouted.

"Why couldn't things just stay the way they were. I should have stayed alone and unnoticed so that my death could be insignificant. Why do you even care? You can go back to being Mr. Popular and having everything you could ever desire." She was panting, anger welling up inside of her.

"Is this how you think of me Katniss? Has this time we spent together meant nothing to you?"

Her voice became cold and shallow. "Everything that has happened will no longer matter. None of this means anything." Her icy words stung as they reached Peeta's ears, causing emotional wounds that cut deeper than any knife could. His eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry if I've been wasting your time, but I hope you know that all of this meant something to me."

He wishes that he could have grabbed his coat and stormed out, despite the fact that they were inside his own home, but he wasn't going to leave her to figure out how to maneuver her new wheelchair. Not to mention that there was a raging storm blowing through the town. There weren't many options.

He sighed, "Well there is no way you're going to go outside in this weather. Um, just stay here for the night. I'll sleep on the couch and you can use my bed or whatever."

Katniss's mouth hung slightly agape at his offer. Had they not just been in a heated argument? Had she not just insulted him continuously? Just as easily as she had shouted cruel accusations at him, he had offered her his home for the night. Still she remained stubborn and crossed her arms as he wheeled her chair into the room. Her fingers clawed at the bed's sheets in frustration once Peeta left the room, while his dejected expression kept replaying in her mind.

Peeta hasn't had a true nightmare in a few months, but something about sleeping uncomfortably on the miniature sofa must have caused the unsettling images of his family to show up in his mind that night. A scream urgently tore through his throat and his eyes flew open, awaking him from his tormented sleep. He tumbled onto the floor and cursed himself for making so much noise, especially since Katniss was in the house. No matter how many times he gets those nightmares, the result is always the same. He'll muffle his sobs and calm himself down, all while desperately trying to erase the horrid visions of the fire that murdered his family.

"Peeta," called Katniss, her voice delicate and filled with concern. He refused to speak, but immediately felt guilty after finding her try to hobble over to where he was. Sighing, he ushered her to her wheelchair and helped her onto the sofa.

She bit her lip and stared into his eyes questioningly, waiting for the explanation of his tear-stained face.

"Don't worry about it. You already have your own problems to deal with," he whispered with a sad smile. Katniss placed a gentle hand on his fake leg as an act of reassurance.

"You've taken care of me ever since we met, even when I have been pushing you away. I understand that I am dying and whatnot, but I also know that I'm not the only one with problems." She scooted closer to him as he placed a tentative arm around her shoulders.

'You can tell me,' she mouthed.

Peeta grimaced. "It was just a bad dream about the, um, fire and yeah." It was obvious that he was in much more pain than he was currently expressing, but she chose not to press the situation any further. They treasured the silence that passed as they relaxed in each other's embrace.

Katniss whispered into his ear, "I'm sorry about your family."

He hazily replied, "I'm sorry about your condition, I really am."

Just like that, they both peacefully fell asleep in each other's arms.

Katniss slowly forced her eyes open as she took a double-take on her surroundings, only to realize that she was laying on Peeta's leather sofa. She clumsily tumbled onto her wheelchair and managed to make it over to where Peeta sat at the kitchen table with the Sunday paper in his hands.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, I'm glad you finally decided to wake up. It's already noon," he teased.

'You're kidding!" she gasped, "There's no way that I've been sleeping for that long, especially on that poor excuse for a couch!" He chuckled, but his face morphed into something more serious as he handed the newspaper.

"We can't complete number three on the list. The local driving schools have been closed because of road construction. I'm so sorry."

Surprisingly, she didn't feel any sadness or angst. If anything, her mood brightened.

"Well, I guess we need to replace it," she grinned. Peeta pulled out the piece of pen and paper and looked up at her.

"What adventure shall we complete next, ?" he prodded.

Her reply took no thought.

"I want to truly kiss the person that I love."

Then, she did.

**Authors Note: OMG guys, have you seen the Mockingjay part 2 trailer? I have so many feels. Anyways, I hope you liked this angsty/fluffy chapter. If there is something that you want to see or want to see fixed in this story, please review and let me know. Was it a good chapter? Did it suck? I won't know unless you review. Thank you for keeping up with this story.**

**-fandomstuck**


	6. 203 hours left

**Author's Note: I know you don't read the notes anyways, but I'm soooooo sorry for the wait. I've been procrastinating as usual. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

**203 hours left**

Peeta and Katniss have not talked in a few days, not after the kiss that is. There was no particular reason for them to be apart, other than the sheer awkwardness of the situation.

The feeling that Katniss possessed was not regret, but it definitely was not relief. She has never showed any liking to others, let alone affection. However, her time was running out, so why hold any secrets back, right? Guilt coursed through her veins just like the disease. Peeta probably thought she hated him because of that kiss. It was time to fix that.

She maneuvered her wheelchair over to his house and knocked on the door. When it opened, she was met with the fear filled eyes of Peeta Mellark. His panic worried her to no end.

"Peeta, what….." Katniss began but an unfamiliar voice boomed in the distance.

"So this is the girl you've been talking about," the stranger stated simply. Her eyes followed over to the direction of the cranky, feminine sound. It appeared to belong to an old woman with straw-like ashen hair who sported many wrinkles on her frail frame.

"Katniss," Peeta croaked, "this is my mother." She shook all signs of surprise off of her face and timidly smiled.

"Ms. Mellark, what a pleasure meeting you," Katniss stated as politely as she could manage. Manners were certainly not her cup of tea.

The old woman chuckled bitterly. "Ditto, darling. Peeta, you certainly chose a marvelous young woman to be with. How come she got stuck with you?"

Peeta uneasily glanced at Katniss, begging her with his eyes to not say anything.

Katniss cleared her throat, trying in vain to suppress her anger. "Peeta has been nothing but kind to me since the day we met. I don't see any reason as to why you would resent him."

"I have my reasons."

"You abandoned him when he needed you the most." Katniss could barely contain her rage.

If Mrs. Mellark noticed how the young girl had just questioned her parenting, she sure didn't show any sign of it.

The old hag raised her thin eyebrows and chuckled, a hearty, unsettling laugh. "I always wondered why my son would choose a girl who would be dead in a number of days. Not a wise decision on his part."

Peeta became frighteningly pale, looking like he could pass out any second. Katniss on the other hand clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

"You don't know what it's like," the teen's voice retorted, a nervous stutter becoming prominent, "for him or for me. You have no right treating either of us like children. Not anymore. Your son had to grieve on his own and keep a roof over his head. I'm fighting for my life. Every. Day. You chose to run away from your issues. You ran away from your own son. If you dare criticize either of us again, I swear that I will personally rip out every strand of hair from your old, wrinkled scalp."

Peeta glanced up at Katniss, a look of gratitude and admiration reflecting in his eyes. His large hand intertwined her small, delicate one, and he led her to the door, heaving a sigh of relief. Just as the girl's palm was planted on the cold, metal doorknob, a weak voice broke the silence.

"Darling, say what you want, but you and I both know that I will outlive you."

Katniss's breath got caught in her throat, clogging up her air passage ways, causing black dots to swirl around in her vision. She flicked her wrist and tumbled outside, falling into Peeta's strong arms.

As the door slammed shut, she felt his hands rub circles on her back, whispering reassurances into her hair. She hadn't felt this terrified since she first found out about the disease.

_'This is actually happening,' _she thought_, 'I will be dead in a matter of hours. I won't see my sister grow up. I won't graduate high school. I won't get to be with Peeta.'_

It felt as if her heart was caving into her chestas her knees buckled and she fell onto the floor, watering the grass with her long overdue tears. She could hear whispering from somewhere. Her own thoughts were drowning out the noise.Feeling more helpless than ever, she just continued to sob, crumbling up on the floor like a wilted flower.

Slowly, she felt herself drifting into reality, hearing the same small voice in her ear that she did hours ago. Her eyelids refused to open.

"Peeta?" she whispered in a hoarse voice that she could hardly recognize as her own. The sound that replied was urgent, desperate even.

"Katniss. I'm here. I'm here. I won't leave you," he responded, running his fingers through her tangled hair.

The cries have died down to small hiccups, and her legs were sore from spending so much time sitting on her knees.

"Peeta, please say something. Please distract me from everything. Please," she cried out.

He coughed, trying to swallow his nerves. "Prom is tomorrow. We could practice dancing if you want," Peeta joked.

She rolled her eyes and giggled in response. "Oh gosh, is this going to be like one of those cheesy romantic movies where the couple dances around the living room to "My Heart Will Go On" or some other overused song."

"No. It won't be like that," he grinned, "we aren't in a living room, and we have no music. Besides, what do you have against "My Heart Will Go On"? That's a classic."

Katniss rose her eyebrows at him. "Oh my gosh. You seriously are going to make me do this, aren't you?"

He responded with a goofy smile and he pulled her to her feet. Their arms were enveloped around one another, as they swayed side to side.

After a few minutes of "dancing", Katniss leaned over and whispered in Peeta's ear '"the only thing that would make this more tacky would be if it started raining.

Before she had any idea of what he was doing, she saw Peeta sprint to the other side of the yard and turn on the sprinkler, laughing hysterically.

She tried to look annoyed and hide her extreme urge to laugh along. "You've got to be kidding me Mellark! These are new shoes!" The water was filling her socks and making her hair soggy, but honestly, she had never felt so alive. Ignoring the fact that the sprinklers made it harder to see, she ran towards Peeta, arms spread out and smiling wide. He lifted her off of her feet and she kissed his cheek.

"I love you" she beamed, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"I love you to"

The sweet moment of pure bliss was quickly interrupted by a short yelp coming from the girl's mouth, and her falling from Peeta's hands, onto the grass.

His eyes widened in shock in fear. "Katniss!"

**Authors Note: Yeah…. I was going to make this chapter end happily, but I felt like a cliffhanger was needed. Sorry, but not sorry. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the fluff before the cliffhanger and getting to meet Peeta's mother. Please please please please please please please please review. Please be 100% honest and let me know what you thought. Did you like seeing Peeta's mother? What do you want to see in the other chapters? Was this chapter good, or was it crappy. Let me know**

**Thank you for reading/ following this story so far. Love y'all.**

**-fandomstuck**


	7. 179 hours left

**Authors Note: I have returned! I always forget to update this. Anyways, I want to thank everyone that has reviewed or read any of my stories. Yes, there are many flaws and mistakes in my writing, but I'm so glad you are here for me as I am experiment with stories. Thank you so much! By the way, the section in italics is Peeta's dream. Without further ado, here is chapter 6. **

**Chapter 6**

**179 hours left**

The silence in the sterile white hospital corridor was suffocating. Not a sound could be heard other than the occasional beep or tapping of a shoe against the floor. Peeta had only ever been inside of children's hospitals with painted walls and Winnie the Pooh sketches. This place was different to say the least.

Not only was the whole environment unsettling, but the fact that Katniss was across the hall made nerves race through him like an open flame. He'd ask the nurses every few minutes about her, but he received the same words every time.

"Only family can come in right now."

"You need permission from the Everdeens to visit."

"You ought to go home young man. There is nothing you can do."

Peeta clasped his hands together and imagined the hand he was holding belonged to Katniss. A trembling finger traced his palm as he pictured her rain soaked hair rushing wildly in the wind, her threating scowl that has never scared him away, and her small porcelain face that never needed makeup to be absolutely stunning.

A strangled sob slipped through his lips, forcing him to move his hand up to the bridge of his nose to will himself not to let another tear fall. His mother always told him that men don't cry, and like any other obedient child would, he believed her. All through his life, he had been trained to hide his emotions behind a joyful mask, but all at once, his resolve was crumbling.

His thoughts were jolted at the sound of an all too familiar scream.

"Katniss!" he called, fully aware of the attention he was drawing to himself. A few nurses tried to hold him back, but they were no match for his strong arms that were shockingly muscular due to years of athletic training. Through his tear filled eyes, he could faintly see doctors pouring into the room Katniss was in. His fists pounded on the door desperately in a feeble attempt to break it down. He hollered until each noise he uttered made his throat feel like it was being scratched by scalding knives.

Finally, a chilled yet rough hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from the action.

"No!" he screamed whilst struggling against the man who was holding him, "She's all I have left!"

A gush of wind struck his bare arms, informing him that he was now outside.

_She can't die yet. This can't be it, _he thought.

The dam that was building up behind his eyelids was suddenly diminished, sending a cascade of hot tears down his cheeks. He slid down against the wall in despair, wishing that the concrete could swallow him whole.

_Katniss danced around the green grass of the meadow, with a wide smile etched across her cheeks. In her loving arms was a small child with soft brown hair and blue eyes. The pink blanket provided quite a contrast from her yellow dress and her hair was free of her typical braid. Peeta stood at a distance, admiring the stunning woman. Suddenly, the girl's frail hand reached towards her throat and her pupils widened dramatically. The child fell from her lap with a sharp cry. Peeta tried to take a step forward to save her but an unforeseen force seemed to be preventing him from doing so. Both of his palms pressed firmly against the force in an attempt to break through, but they did not prevail. _

_ "Help me!" she screamed at him, her teeth clenching from either anger or pain. He wanted to yell 'I'm trying' but even his lips felt numb. Like a piece of magic, the girl disappeared from the chair, leaving nothing but the writhing child in her place. A hand rested on his shoulder and he leaned into the touch, but an old cackle broke him from his feeling of relief. He found himself face to face with the last person he desired to see, his mother. _

_ "See," she barked, "I told you that you didn't deserve to be happy."_

Peeta's eyes snapped open to the sound of a sweet and reassuring voice.

A blonde figure stood above him knowingly.

"It's okay," she cooed, "It was just a nightmare." He surprised himself with a sudden outburst.

"No!" he hollered, "It's not okay! Katniss isn't okay, nothing is okay right now." The woman's lips pursed together with a light sigh escaping them.

"Peeta, Katniss is okay. She's experiencing some episodes of heart failure, which is normal for someone in her condition. I understand what you are going through Peeta. I am her mother after all…" she trailed off.

A wave of relief and guilt rushed through him as he ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm sorry Ms. Everdeen," he apologized halfheartedly. For someone who usually spoke so fluently, he was suddenly at a loss for words with no motivation to speak any further. His shaking legs led him towards the door, and he didn't bother looking back.

Every day, he went to the hospital to visit the girl he loved. He noted how much she was deteriorating. She was practically a stick now with sunken cheeks and a broken spirit.

Peeta sat at her bedside, holding her frail, nearly lifeless hand.

She pulled together all the strength she had to turn her head towards him and whisper, "There's 102 hours left, Peeta."

He remained silent, selfishly wishing that she would stop talking like that. She didn't.

"Prom has already passed, Peeta, and I'll never be able to go now. I still have something left on my list and only a bit more than four days to do it," she wept into his palms, fully aware that she was blabbering at this point. The sun was beginning to set, heightening her fears.

"Katniss," Peeta began, fighting his own tears, "We can do it. We can get through these days and finish the list."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumbled and stained piece of notebook paper.

"The last thing to do is for you to try on wedding dresses," he read aloud with sadness and the threat of tears weighing down his voice. "We'll go first thing tomorrow."

So, with the help from the doctors and nurses, it was arranged.

**Authors note: So… that was a short chapter (sorry), but I will be posting the FINAL chapter very soon. PLEASE REVIEW so I can give the finale of this story its justice. **

**If you review with some advice for me to improve, a prompt for a new fanfiction, or some thoughtful feedback, I will give your account a shout-out in my next chapter.**

**Thank you SO MUCH for reading my story so far and I hope you enjoy the next/final chapter.**

**-turtle**


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